ExxonMobil evacuates staff from Nigeria oil terminal [View All]

[Robbien]

ExxonMobil's Qua Iboe facility in southeastern Nigeria handles exports of 650,000 barrels per day, although the firm's Nigerian spokesman Yemi Fakayejo told AFP that output had not yet been hit by the latest scare.

"We have evacuated non-essential workers from the Qua Iboe export terminal following an intelligence report that Niger Delta militants were planning an attack on oil facilities and personnel," he said. "This is a precautionary step... There is no disruption in oil production and exports. Production is up and running and offshore and essential staff are at the export terminal, working," Fakayejo added.

Over the past three months separatist guerrillas have carried out a series of attacks on Niger Delta oil facilities, forcing foreign multinationals to cut Nigeria's exports of around 2.5 million barrels per day by around a quarter.

Thus far ExxonMobil's facilities, most of which apart from Qua Iboe are offshore, have been spared, while pipelines operated by Shell, ChevronTexaco and ENI have been blown up and 24 members of security forces there killed.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060425/wl_afp/nigeriaoilunrestusexxonmobilevacuate_060425100736